Pilgrim Brown Bread

Proof:

• 1 1/4 cups water, warmed to 90F. Filtered or bottled water is best.
  (90F is warm enough so that you can't feel it at all when you dip your finger).
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 Tbps active dry yeast (yes, that's 3 tsps - or 1 1/2 packets.)

Whisk, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes to activate the yeast. The molasses get it going pretty quickly!

Plump

• 1 cup raisins

in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, and put the raisins in a sieve or colander to drain well, or the surplus water will make the dough to wet.

Dough: in a 4 qt mixing bowl

• 3 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
• 2 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp salt

Pour the proofed yeast into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough coheres and comes clean from the bowl. Turn out onto a mixing board or mat, and knead for 10-15 minutes. This is a lot of dough, and the heavy whole-wheat content requires lots of work. When the dough is well formed, add the raisins and knead gently until the raisins are well mixed. You'll probably have to add another 1/4 cup of flour (in small increments) as the raisins will probably be too wet and will make the dough very sticky. Let raise until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down and let raise for an additional 30 minutes.

Form the loaves. Divide the dough into two, and shape into loaves. I like fat country-style shapes. Slash with a sharp knife. Cover with a tea-towel and let raise for an additional hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with a baking stone. Bake the loaves for 35-40 minutes. When the bread is done, it will have a hollow sound when tapped underneath.

Credit: Adapted from a Flavored Breads: Recipes from Mark Millers Coyote Cafe, which has many excellent recipes. (Caution - all the recipes are calibrated to 7500 feet, and need up to 1/4 cup reduced liquid at sea level. This is buried in a note on page 204!)

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